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35% of Students Lack Dorms

While 65% of students are housed in dormitories, space constraints hamper accommodation of the remaining 35%, said Dr. Mojtaba Sediqi, deputy at the science ministry, who also heads the Students Affairs Organization, in a television interview.

Majority of dorms are either rented or owned by the ministry of science, research and technology while the private sector manages non-state dorms under the ministry’s supervision. Approximately 245,000 premises have been allocated to the universities of the science ministry, of which 200,000 are properties owned by the ministry, 23,000 are rented, and 23,000 belong to non-state dormitories, ISNA reported.

Single students are inhabitants of campuses covering 2 million sq meters in total, while campuses designated for couples equal 175,000 sq meters. “Providing accommodation for couples is more challenging, and we have been able to house only 3000 couples of the total 15,000 applicants,” noted Sediqi, adding that an extra 110,000 square meters is essential to meet the needs of eligible students. The Students Affairs Organization is collaborating with the private sector for the construction of 175,000 sq meters new dormitory areas as “university campuses are already overpopulated by 50% in some quarters.”

Students pay a rental fee which goes to the Students’ Welfare Fund (SWF) which allocates housing loans, and renovation of dormitories. “Nevertheless, if authorities deem it necessary, underprivileged students are exempted from rental.” In the previous year (ended March 20) of the estimated $15 million (500 billion rials) on rentals, the SWF did not receive $ 8.5 million (280 billion rials), indicating that the university authorities “are willing to compromise and assist underprivileged students.”